6 Ways Nurses Can Solve Patient Care Problems

Language Barrier

Problem:

The hospital has a language and a system of its own. When nurses and other health care personnel talk to each other, it’s often in hospital-speak, a language that non-medical professionals don’t understand.

True story: A nurse walked into an older patient’s room and announced cheerfully that she was there to take his vitals. The patient had no clue what she was talking about, or what “vitals” were. The nurse then repeated it because the patient didn’t say anything or move; again, she had no clue. The nurse grabbed the patient’s arm to take her blood pressure and the patient panicked because she didn’t know what was going on.

Solution:

It’s easy to forget that we say things that many people, especially patients, don’t understand. We may rattle off that a patient has to take a medication four times a day – but he doesn’t necessarily know what four times he should take them. You may tell a patient that she can’t “take anything by mouth,” but does she understand that this means she can’t eat or drink anything?

Remember to use terms and expressions that everyone is likely to know – not just professionals who work in health care.